Getting a new ship in Starfield is a very expensive venture, one that won’t be possible until you’ve either completed a good chunk of the main story or a ton of side missions. Thankfully, you can find free ships. Here are all of Starfield’s free ships.
List of Every Free Ship in Starfield
There are six different ships that you can get in Starfield without paying a single Credit. There are additional ways of getting random free ships that I mention below, but these six are the unique ones that you can score on any playthrough. With that said, here are all of Starfield’s free ships along with how to get them:
- Razorleaf.
- Kepler S/R.
- UC Prison Shuttle.
- Star Eagle.
- Wanderwell.
- Starborn Guardian.
Razorleaf
The Razorleaf is a Class A ship you earn upon completing the Mantis side mission. To unlock it, kill Spacer enemies and loot their bodies until you find a Secret Outpost Slate. Read the slate, and it’ll lead you to a Secret Outpost on the planet Denebola I-B. Head there and explore the Lair of the Mantis, and at the end, you’ll receive the Razorleaf ship.
The Razorleaf is quite capable, boasting some strong weapons, shields, and engines combined with a slender frame. It also comes with the secret perk of causing Spacer enemies to flee quickly after coming into contact. I used the Razorleaf for the majority of my playthrough, and it served me very well.
Kepler S/R
The Kepler R is a free Class C ship you earn upon completing the Overdesigned side mission, given by Walter Stroud. You will need level 4 in the Piloting skill to claim the ship and add it to your fleet, so wait to do this mission until after you have that. The Overdesigned mission requires that you head to the Stroud-Eklund Shipyard and help out the R&D department to develop a new ship, with data from your ship helping the design. At the end of the mission, Walter will provide you with one of the first off the assembly line, which you can dock with at the shipyard.
The Kepler R is an extremely large free ship with four separate levels to walk around on. Alongside this, it offers a Cargo Hold that can hold a staggering 3550 Mass. It even offers quite a few Crew spots, being a Class C ship and all. However, it lacks firepower and mobility, meaning you’ll need to make adjustments and spend money to compensate. Still, a free ship is a free ship.
Additionally, those who only do one of the two optional objectives in Overdesigned will get the Kepler S instead of the Kepler R. This is a much weaker ship than its counterpart and is only Class B, but you’re getting it for free. It’s tough to complain about free.
UC Prison Shuttle
The free ship UC Prison Shuttle is earned after completing the Echoes of the Past mission in the Crimson Fleet mission line. It’s a Class A ship which means you won’t need any levels in the Piloting skill, but is also a very weak ship at base. While it sports a welcome 1090 Cargo Capacity, it has no ship weapons of any kind, a low Grav Jump distance, no shield, and only a single Crew slot. Unless you’re looking to do some massive transformation of it, it’s best you don’t bother giving it much attention.
Star Eagle
The Star Eagle ship is a free ship that is earned when completing the mission The Hammer Falls during the Freestar Collective mission line. This is the final mission as part of the storyline, and sees you finally become a Freestar Ranger as compared to a Deputy. Besides some spare pieces of gear, you’ll get the Collective’s signature ship with all its bells and whistles.
The Star Eagle is a Class A ship that sports 2280 Cargo Capacity, a 1216 Health shield, five Crew slots, and a strong 948 Hull. The only caveat is that the Grav Jump range is pretty weak at 18 LY. However, it’s worth using and even customizing to your own ends.
Wanderwell
The Wanderwell ship is obtained by completing a string of minor side missions with the Kid Stuff trait added to your character. As you progress through the game, Noel in the Lodge will mention your parents wanting to talk to you. On the fourth meeting with your parents, they’ll gift you the surprise Wanderwell ship.
The Wanderwell is a Class A ship that holds 800 Cargo Capacity, sports a weak shield of around 400 Shield, along with a middling 500 health Hull. However, it has a staggering 27LY Jump distance. It’s not all that great, but it’ll get you where you need to go at least.
The next ship is a spoiler for the beginning of Starfield’s New Game Plus mode. Skip to the next section if you don’t want to be spoiled.
Starborn Guardian
If you’ve started the New Game Plus mode of Starfield, you’ll automatically receive the Starborn Guardian for free as your Home Ship alongside the Frontier ship. This ship starts out with a decent base value, and can be upgraded as you begin subsequent New Game Plus runs.
The Starborn Guardian is a Class A ship that sports a decent 630 health Shield, 950 Cargo Capacity, and a five Crew Capacity maximum. It even sports a staggering 30LY Grav Jump distance. The major caveat is that it isn’t customizable like all other ships in the game. This makes it incredible for fighting (something its unique weapons help), but mediocre for hauling and transport missions.
Other Methods of Acquiring Free Ships
With that out of the way, we can cover those two methods for acquiring a free ship. We’ll start with stealing a ship while in space. If the ship you’re stealing is hostile, then you’ll have to take down its engines and dock with it. From there, kill any enemies inside and get into the pilot’s seat. Once you touch down at a spaceport, the ship will be yours. If the ship isn’t hostile, you can try hailing them and selecting the Piracy option to steal the ship. If they fight back, then you can use the previous method.
The other method is stealing a ship that’s landed. To do so, land on any planet you wish and look for a ship that’s landing nearby. This is based on a random chance, so you may need to try a handful of planets. Once it does, head over to the ship and eliminate all hostiles. Once you get inside, it’s the same as before. Take out the enemies inside, and get into the pilot’s seat to hijack it. Land it at a spaceport, and it’s yours.
If you’re looking for these ships for yourself, check out our guide on how to complete the Overdesigned mission in Starfield.
